Lord of the Stars
by Rochwen
Summary: A SW & LOTR crossover! Poor Anakin crashlands into MiddleEarth and meets up with one Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood. [NOTE: I will not be updating this story. Sorry! Just keeping it here for old times' sake. xD]
1. Hunting

A/N: Hello everyone!! I've been taking a rather long, drawn-out break from writing this story (began work on it almost a year ago: yeah, lot of free time on my hands) to try and knock some more plotlines into this, and with the help of my lovely sister Culaur we are going to shape this story up good an' proper. ^^ I'm revising some of it, due to some new and out-dated ideas. Anyway -- please review! No, I don't own any characters that have anything to do with LOTR or Star Wars or the lovely people that first concieved the thought of them -- *dreadful sigh* Wishful thinking will get one nowhere.  
  
The Lord of the Stars  
  
1. Hunting  
  
***  
  
Hunting. It was a favourite pastime for all woodland elves. One elf, who was in fact the one and only prince of Mirkwood, particularly liked hunting. He was called Legolas. He walked slowly through the woods. His bright blue eyes were gazing at the forest floor, following a set of tracks. He had golden blonde hair, and he was clad in brown and green. A bow was in his hand, an arrow ready-notched to the string. He had been following this stag all morning. The sun now was sinking below the horizon, sending out long shadows in the already-shadowy forest. The trees, with their leaves red in their autumn colours, whispered to each other in the soft breeze. Legolas paused when he temporarily lost the tracks. He found them some yards off. The stag had leaped over a fallen log. The sound of a stream running not far away came to the elf's sensitive ears. A smile spread across his elvish features. His prey was probably there now, drinking the water, cool from its journey from the mountains of Mirkwood.  
  
The thought made Legolas thirsty. He stopped to take a sip of water from the skin he had at his side. Soon he was on again. Within a matter of minutes the stealthy Elven hunter came upon the stream. The water sparkled as it caught the last rays of the sun as it set into the west. Legolas was right. There, taking deep draughts of the cool, clear water was the stag. Its intelligent eyes were fixed on the water, one foreleg placed in the stream. Now that he knew that the stag was in his grasp, Legolas paused to smile. He whispered a faint prayer to the Valar, apologizing for having to slay such a magnificent beast, but happy for the food that would see him through quite a few days. He silently bent his bow, pulled back the arrow until it was fully taught, and aimed.  
  
*Snap!*  
  
The stag started, and looked up. It snorted upon seeing the Elven hunter. In an instant it bounded away and would not be seen again for quite a while. Legolas spun around in a fury and tried to aim his arrow at whoever or whatever produced the ill-timed noise. He, Legolas of Mirkwood, surely hadn't. He had the sense to stay as silent as possible during a hunt. There was an angry muttering some distance away. Unfamiliar to the tongue, Legolas stood silent, his bowstring taught as he aimed it at the noise. He backed into the forest so that he could not be seen. He could not blindly shoot someone. It could very well be one of his own kind, a youngster maybe that had wandered off. Or it could be an intruder. Ready for the latter, he waited.  
  
Presently there was a rustling in the underbrush some distance off. A young man walked out into the open, rubbing his head and muttering still in the strange language. Legolas was surprised. He looked naught like anyone he had ever seen. *He is definitely not an elf,* the prince thought logically. *Is he a man? He is undeniably not a dwarf. Hobbits live far west in the Shire. Besides, they are not that tall!* Anyway, the figure was, as was said, a young male. He was dressed all in robes of black, and had a silver belt. One long braid was hanging from his head. He knelt down by the stream and began splashing some of the water onto his face. Legolas was stunned at how uncautious he was being. Walking right into the open, without even checking for enemies? He could have walked right into a nest of spiders and not even know it until he was bitten!  
  
"Bloody atmosphere! Why did my ship have to break down NOW? Now?" the strange words came to Legolas quite easily enough. The ignorant being didn't even realize he was being watched. "Padmé and Obi-Wan are *waiting* for me!"  
  
Legolas decided that he had to approach the strange creature. He was most definitely some sort of intruder, and had to be brought back to Thranduil as soon as possible. So he walked out of the forest, and, his bow still notched, came up right behind him. He didn't even notice him. Legolas waited a few minutes, until he decided that this person was definitely off his rocker. He kicked out at his foot, his own soft leather shoes just barely scuffing the unnatural material of the other's boot. Regardless, two seconds later the person completely jumped up and whirled onto the elf, and found that an arrow was pointed directly at his face. That made him pause, and blink a few times, aparently not knowing what to think of such a thing.  
  
"Oh. Hello. Um... uh... um... my name is Anakin Skywalker - Jedi Night. Ah... do you mind... not pointing that at me? I am a Jedi, and I could easily... er... deflect that arrow... uh... yeah."  
  
"Dîna(*)!" ordered Legolas. *How in the name of the Valar can that human babble so mindlessly when he has my arrow set between his eyes?!*  
  
Anakin looked at him uncertainly.  
  
"Um... repeat that, please, good sir. Dîna? I don't think I am quite familiar with that term --"  
  
Legolas pulled back on the arrow. Finally Anakin realized that it was best for him to stay silent.  
  
"Le na adan(**)?" Legolas growled in Sindar - though the human seemed to be using a rough dialect of it, he did not feel like using the language. It gave him an edge over the other being.  
  
Anakin looked blankly at the elf. Obviously he was unfamiliar with elvish. That was not to be unexpected - very few men ever even heard it, save for the Rangers of the North. Legolas saw however that the human was unarmed. A little demented maybe, but unarmed. He lowered his bow. Anakin relaxed slightly. Then he extended his hand towards the elf. The Jedi found an arrow pointing at his head again.  
  
"Eek! Ok, ok, er -- how do I say -- ah, this sounds corny - peace, man! I come in peace!" Anakin raised his hands in a sign of disarment.  
  
Legolas lowered his bow again. He glared at the human.  
  
"Who - are - you?" he asked in westron, his voice low and dangerous  
  
Anakin blinked at him. What did this strange thing want with him? What right did it have to go around, pointing sharp arrows at people? First it was speaking to him in something reminiscant to something he had heard once, but of which he understood nothing. Now it went talking in basic...  
  
"I'm Anakin." Anakin said slowly, pointing to himself. "Jedi."  
  
Legolas squinted at the person as if trying to read a puzzle.  
  
"Jed-Eye? I hen na gannadanîn...(***)," he murmured, half to himself. Then he spoke louder so that the Jedi could hear him. "Legolas."  
  
Anakin raised an eyebrow. He meant to point out the error on the word 'Jed-Eye', but he was not all that keen on telling the hostile... thing that he was wrong.  
  
"You're name is... Legolas?" he asked uncertainly.  
  
Legolas stared at him. Then he put the arrow back into his quiver, and held the bow loosely in his hand. Then he meaningfully pointed at Anakin.  
  
"Anakin," he said. Then he pointed at himself. "Legolas."  
  
Anakin nodded. At least that was straight.  
  
"Ok, Legolas." Anakin paused, then made a frustrated sigh. "Go away and leave me alone." Legolas looked blankly at him. Then he shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. He was tired of playing with the strange human. This was no time to poke fun at young mortals -- He had to bring him back to Thranduil's. He was trespassing. *Father will probably give him a brief reprieve and send him on his way -- then I can tease him all I want. If I would not rather see him booted out of Mirkwood for giving me that sassy comment.*  
  
"Not a chance, adan," Legolas said shortly. "You have to come with me."  
  
He easily grasped the young man's arm. Anakin cried out in protest, and pulled his arm out of Legolas's hands. "Let go of me! What do you think you're doing?"  
  
Legolas growled at him, and brandished a long knife. Anakin froze.  
  
"I am saving your neck, Jed-Eye. Unless you want to die a slow and horrible death, by all means  
  
stay here - or perhaps you would like to chance me."  
  
Legolas wasn't really planning on using the knife, but he wanted to get Anakin to Thranduil's as quick as possible. Knife in hand, he pointed again to the forest. Then he took hold of Anakin's arm and started leading him away.  
  
*Great,* thought Anakin. *I crash-land on a strange planet; have the horrible luck to run into a bloody savage, and my light saber's battery is dead! How am I supposed to get away from this guy? Where's he bringing me, anyway?*  
  
*Great,* thought Legolas. *This boy ruins my hunt, he's crazy, and I have to drag him clear across Mirkwood. I sure wish I ventured into this part of the forest today!*  
  
For about an hour Legolas pushed the Jedi ahead of him. There were no more attempts at speech or explanations. Both were in a grumpy mood. The stars came out one by one in the heavens above, and Anakin was beginning to get tired. Elves, as immortals, do not usually feel weariness to the extent of mortals. Anakin began swaggering as he walked. He was up all night last night traveling through the galaxy. Legolas didn't notice until the tired human tripped over a log and fell flat on his face.  
  
"Na le -" he paused, remembering that he wasn't understood. "A tad bit tired, are we, Jed-Eye?"  
  
It was usually unlike him to taunt so much - but the way that Anakin scowled seemed to humorous to him, much unlike the graceful expressions the elves make when they area nnoyed.  
  
"Thank you so for asking," Anakin grubmled. "But I am just fine, thank you."  
  
He reached down and helped the Jedi up. Anakin mumbled to himself, and yawned terribly. He gave Legolas a contemptuous glance. In return the prince lightly shrugged the pack off of his shoulders and set it on the ground, right where they were, and began to untie a blanket from the back. He held it out to Anakin. The Jedi looked surprised in a sleepy, slurry kind of way. After he took it with a half-heard thanks the blue-eyed elf looked at him for a moment with a grin on his face.  
  
"What is so funny?" the Jedi snapped. "And when are you going to tell me why you are dragging me through this nettle-garden of a forest?"  
  
"You are, Jed-Eye," the elf replied only to the first question. "Humans look so odd when they are sleepy. They rumble and groan and yawn and --"  
  
"I know what we do," said a rather ruffled Anakin. "And I have a name, you know! 'Tis not Jed-Eye. I already told you: it is Anakin. An-a-kin! And what might you be, Leggo-lass, if you're not a humanoid?"  
  
"A humanoid --" Legolas blinked, nonplussed, but said: "My name is Legolas, Jed-Eye. I am an elf - are you blind?"  
  
"Blind, no. But I've never met an elf before -- what --"  
  
"We keep to ourselves," the prince shrugged. "Mortals concern us little - they barely have the wit to keep themself out of dangerous forests, they hardly have the intelect to carry on long-term conversations with our kind.  
  
Anakin looked blankly at him. Legolas gave him a rather childish grin. Then he turned away and disappeared into the forest. Anakin uncertainly gaped after him. He wondered if this would be a good opportunity to escape. He looked around, but couldn't see the strange person anywhere. Maybe he'd abandoned him. left him to fend for himself in the wild? Anakin twitched. He hoped not.  
  
His eyes scanned the very dark forest. He wondered what kind of scary creatures lived there. *I have visited some strange worlds before - Obi-Wan and I have nearly gotten slaughtered by Pigmies, eaten alive by giant fish, licked to death by a giant Lizard -- wait, no, that was Jar-Jar.* Anakin shuddered. *Still.*  
  
*What does that evil blonde elf-dude want with me, anyway?* Anakin twitched. *Maybe he is a cannibal. Maybe he plans to eat him alive. Or... maybe he is going to bring him somewhere where he is to be tortured and killed slowly for trespassing on - this big nettle-garden of a forest.*  
  
The Jedi had enough. He stood up. He looked around, and saw no sign of that strange person with pointy ears. It was so dark he could just barely see his hand in front of his face. Yet that did not matter. At least he could probably get away easier, and the guy would have quite a bit of trouble following his trail in the dark.  
  
He tried to remember what direction the elf had set off at. He frowned. *Why is my Jedi-Training so foggy in my brain now?* He shrugged. *It is too hard being on the good side of the force. So much more complicated. Maybe I'll turn to the dark side when I get back. Yeah. Siths. They always get the easier part of the deal. They just have to go around, shooting lightning bolts at people and getting their way by killing everyone who opposed them -- while the GOOD Jedi have to go about convincing people that they were good and on the "people's" side. People were so thick-headed... they made Jar-Jar an ambassador for heaven's sake!*  
  
Realizing that he had gotten off track, Anakin then turned in the direction that it seemed least likely that that dude had gone off in, and began to creep into the forest.  
  
* Silence!  
  
** You are human.  
  
*** Jed-Eye? The child is joking me...  
  
A/N: There? How was that? Expect the next chappy within the week if I have time with school started an' all. Hey! Just cuz I'm homeschooled doesn't mean that I don't have to work too? ;) LOL anyway TTFN! 


	2. Rustic Westron and Orc Rights

Legolas could not believe the stupidity of that guy. He blinked a couple times as he watched Anakin the Jed-Eye started walking right towards him. Ai Elbereth. if he was trying to run away, why didn't he go in another direction? He was holding an armful of firewood. He had not gone very far at all, and indeed had kept his eyes on the strange person the whole time. all of five minutes. Seriously, why could he just not sit still? No one. NO ONE that Legolas had wanted to keep an eye on had ever gotten away from him. And he did not expect that something like that would happen any time soon. The Elven prince smirked, and decided to wait until Anakin was almost on top to say something.  
  
"Mae govannen, Jed-Eye*."  
  
Anakin made quite a humorous squeaking sound and jumped backwards nearly two yards before he fell flat on his back. The elf raised an eyebrow at him. Then he proceeded to walk past him into the small clearing in which he had decided that they would camp before. He was busy building a fire as Anakin got onto his feet and recomposed himself, however in vain. A little downcast, he slumped back down in his former seat beneath a tree, and glowered at the freaky elf-dude making a fire. He could have done it twice as fast had he a lighter. But, nooooooooooooo, he had to leave that at home. The fire could potentially cause a breakdown in oxygen gasses and make his ship blow up. He snorted. Well, it blew up anyway. He might as well have brought a lighter.  
  
"Yo, Legolas."  
  
The elf turned to fix an icy-blue stare at him.  
  
"Mani, lostdol edan*?"  
  
Anakin blinked.  
  
"Uh, yeah, do you happen to have any food?"  
  
Legolas looked at him blankly for a few minutes before turning back to the fire. He had a good idea what he wanted. If that evil human had not interrupted him in the most crucial point of his hunt. He shook his head. Nope. It was definitely going to be a light meal today. Anakin scowled and crossed his arms as he went ignored. Presently a fire was crackling merrily, chasing all the shadows a safe distance away. Anakin soon remembered that he was tired and was snoring away before Legolas could have time to feed him. The elf shrugged and kept watch on the insane mortal all night, deciding it was better than waking up and finding himself strangled to death. Legolas furrowed his brow. No. Wait. if he was strangled to death, then he wouldn't wake up. and then. confused, Legolas shook his head and set his eyes on the evil man.  
  
Anakin woke up next morning with a stiff neck, aching back and quite empty stomach. He was not in a good mood. The unlikely pair spent a while in irritable silence. Legolas gave Anakin some bread and dried meat to eat, which happened to be the last of his supplies, and then he made the Jed-Eye start walking again. As a pastime, Legolas tried to get to understand the gibberish excuse of a language that Anakin kept on blurting out. He was rewarded to find it was a rustic variation of Westron, which he could understand perfectly. So, after they were walking for about five hours, Legolas understood much of Anakin's poor vocabulary. Though words like "star cruiser" and "Curuscant" were still far away from his reach. And he still deemed the Jed-Eye crazy.  
  
And Anakin still deemed Legolas a cannibal.  
  
"So. eh. where are we going?"  
  
Legolas looked sidelong at him.  
  
"My adar's palace," he said, his voice low and quiet as he tried to master the strange tongue.  
  
"What's an adar?" Anakin asked.  
  
Legolas rolled his eyes.  
  
"My father."  
  
"You're father's name is Adar?"  
  
"No! Adar means Father!"  
  
"What IS his name?"  
  
Legolas scowled.  
  
"None of your concern!"  
  
"Why are we going there?"  
  
"You are trespassing!"  
  
"I am not! You're dragging me halfway through a forest, and I-"  
  
"You were trespassing when I found you," Legolas growled. "Now keep quiet and you shan't get hurt."  
  
"Is he going to kill me?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Your adar."  
  
"No!" Legolas was getting quite ruffled. "Yet if he does not I might do the honours by relieving you of your overly-large head!"  
  
Anakin scowled in silence for a while.  
  
"I'm hungry," he said eventually.  
  
Legolas rounded on the annoying human. He was getting quite peeved.  
  
"Then go get something to eat! I daresay with your intelligence you might be able to find a few insects beneath the leaves!"  
  
That stopped all conversation for quite a while, much to Legolas' delight. He by far regretted learning the strange language that Anakin called "English". Anakin was getting tired and whiny, and wanted stop walking. However the Elven prince seemed tireless, and he only stopped once the sun had once again gone down and Anakin was exceedingly hungry. And then Legolas froze, frowning. He told Anakin to build a fire, and then disappeared into the thick forest. He came back an hour later, and his bow was in his hand, and a big grin was on his face.  
  
"What? What happened?" Anakin asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing." Legolas answered. "I just killed a couple of Orcs."  
  
Anakin blinked.  
  
"What are Orcs?"  
  
Legolas looked at him like he was crazy.  
  
"Orcs. you know, the . evil people?"  
  
"You killed someone!" Anakin was aghast.  
  
"I killed Orcs," Legolas said uncertainly.  
  
"What did they do to you?"  
  
"They were camping a little way ahead. I did not think that we would appreciate -"  
  
"You killed someone who did nothing to you whatsoever other than camp in your Adar's forest?"  
  
"Um." Legolas glared at him. "Well."  
  
"How could you do such a thing? You cannot kill people because they are merely in the way! What about their rights? They could have had a family somewhere, a wife, and kids, or you could have even killed them! It could have been a whole family going out on a picnic! And you just ended their lives. They are banished to oblivion for the rest of eternity because they camped in the wrong forest."  
  
"Jed-Eye. They. Are. Orcs."  
  
"I do not care what race they are! It is no better than killing a human."  
  
Legolas shook his head in shock. He did not know how to answer this insanity.  
  
"Dollost edan*," he muttered, and then turned back into the forest and disappeared.  
*Well met, Jed-Eye!  
  
*What, empty-headed human?  
  
*Empty-headed human. 


	3. JedEyes and Light Swords

Orcs??? Rights??? Legolas was so flabbergasted that it took him twice as long as it normally took him to find and shoot two rabbits for their dinner. When he returned to the make-shift camp, he would neither look at or acknowledge Anakin, and busied himself by skinning and cooking his catch. Did Rabbits have rights too? He snorted at the thought. He gave no voice to it however, and merely gave the Jed-Eye a pointed glare.  
  
Anakin could not think of what he had done wrong. The elf-dude must certainly be prejudiced or something to be offended over such a ... truth! So, he decided to pretend that nothing out of the ordinary happened, and eyed the Rabbits uncertainly.  
  
"What are those things?" he asked.  
  
Legolas dropped his knife to gape at him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"... What sort of animal are they?"  
  
He had seen so many animals in so many different planets that he could not recall what the small, furry, and somewhat cute ones were that Legolas was cooking.  
  
"A rabbit, dollost edan!" Legolas cried. "Tell me you do not know what a rabbit is!"  
  
Anakin shrugged. Legolas groaned.  
  
"Where are you from, human? Surely you must have at least seen a rabbit before!"  
  
"Well..." he chuckled nervously. "Actually I was born in Tatooine, but then I was taken to Naboo by this Jedi called Qui-Gon-Gin. He was a pretty cool guy. He died. This Sith lord skewered him. So then Obi-Wan, his apprentice, brought me and this weird Lizard-Dude to Coruscant. There, Yoda foretold that I would turn to the dark side. Obi took me as his apprentice anyway. Ha! And so, to make a very long story short, I was just cruising back from a top-secret-Jedi-mission to meet up with Obi. We were going to go to another mission, but it's cool cuz we were going to help out this totally hot chick. Her name's Padme. She's a princess, y'know. But... my ship ran out of fuel and crash-landed on this planet. Oh yeah! Lego! Do you know if there's any repair shop about that takes republican credits?"  
  
For a very long time Legolas stared at Anakin. His blue eyes were very wide and his rather handsome features expressionless. What little the Elven prince did understand from the Jed-Eye only led him to one explanation. He was crazy.  
  
***  
  
The sun rose to a beautiful, cloudless day. Birds sang. Animals stirred and rose to greet the morn. A cool autumn breeze rustled in the trees. The streams gurgled and ran happily on their journey to the sea. Everything about the new day spelt out peace and happiness. Except for the rather irritated elf and his 'captive'. Legolas and Anakin walked together down a path, the prince latching onto the Jed-Eye's arm and nearly dragging him forward. The boy whined and squirmed and threatened and begged to be let set free.  
  
Legolas had no such intentions. They just had to walk a few more hours, and they would reach Thranduil's halls. He longed for his time with the Jed-Eye to be over. It was very straining, mentally and physically, to listen to hours and hours of constant gibbering nonsense pouring forth from the mouth of Anakin. As they walked, a strange beeping sound game from Anakin's direction. Legolas looked at him.  
  
"What was that?" he asked.  
  
Anakin's face lit up.  
  
"Oh! Yay! My light saber's fully charged!"  
  
He yanked his arm away from Legolas, and dug out his light saber from his robes. He grinned as he saw a little green light blink on and off on the handle. Phew! Good thing Obi-Wan didn't know that he had left it on... again. Without thinking he flipped on the switch, and smiled at the cool light sword. He twirled it around a few times, just to make sure that it still worked. When he turned it off he realized that he was alone on the path. He blinked, and then looked around for the weird elf-dude. He eventually saw him, gazing at him from behind a tree... a safe distance away.  
  
"Hey, Lego, whatcha doing over there?"  
  
Legolas glared.  
  
"You are a wizard!"  
  
Anakin blinked for a second time.  
  
"No I'm not."  
  
"Then what was... that?!?"  
  
"What? This?" he held up his light saber. "Oh, it's just my light saber."  
  
He turned it on again to show Legolas. The elf reacted by stringing his bow and notching an arrow swifter than Anakin's intelligence could follow.  
  
"Put it out!"  
  
"What?" Anakin looked at him innocently.  
  
"Drop it!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Now!"  
  
"No!"  
  
Legolas fired. Anakin made a funny squeaking sound and blocked the arrow with his light saber. He narrowed his eyes at the elf.  
  
"What was that for?"  
  
"Turn it off!"  
  
"I don't want to," Anakin sniffed and crossed his arms, as best as he could with the light saber in his hand. "You can't hurt me, anyway."  
  
Legolas shot again, and again. Anakin was slightly amused. Hey, maybe he could finally get away from the evil elf dude! Yeah! Then he would run for the nearest junk shop and get enough parts to fix up his busted ship.  
  
Legolas grew so annoyed, that he changed tactics. By giving the Jedi a few more arrows to deflect and distract him, he managed a few strategic moves to end up directly behind Anakin. His blue eyes glittered in triumph as the point of his arrow pressed against the Jed-Eye's neck.  
  
"Block this one," he said with a chuckle. "Or drop the light sword." 


	4. Master Yoda and Reggon

A/N: Sorry! I lost the password to my ff.net account, that's why there were no updates recently. But now I found it again. ^_^ Yay! Oh, and explanation for my last chappy. It was a little rushed and not as long or well-written as the others. So here's a nice long one to make you happy.  
Anakin sighed, and turned his light saber off. Though he thought that he could easily have snapped the string off the bow, and sent the arrow flying backwards at Legolas. But the weird elf-dude really didn't do anything to deserve it. He did look quite scared of his light saber anyway. And he could have been nice and turned it off in the first place... Legolas looked at the weird hilt of the light saber blankly, and then lowered his bow.  
  
"So... if you are not a wizard, would you mind explaining... that?" he asked.  
  
Anakin rolled his eyes. Hadn't the elf-dude ever seen a light saber before? Maybe not. He did hear of a few solar systems that were still... uncivilized. However he severely wished that this was not one of them, because then, since he landed on the planet and talked with even one of the beings he could get in BIG trouble, violating a whole lot of Galactic-Laws and regulations.  
  
"Well, Mr. Legolas," Anakin said with a small sigh. "This is a light saber. A light saber is basically a sword, except that it is made out of a beam o flight. It can cut through anything, except for another light saber. It can only be made and used by a Jedi like myself. It's a pretty neat weapon."  
  
Legolas blinked at him, and then frowned.  
  
"I... I don't understand. Why do you not just use a regular sword? Certainly it couldn't be that much different than then your... light saver."  
  
Anakin rolled his eyes.  
  
"No, light sabers are very different than regular swords. They're much cooler. They are the only weapon that Jedis ever need. They can open doors without much trouble... slice through bad-guys faster than steel... uhm... and they make this cool sound when you move them around!"  
  
Legolas scratched his head.  
  
"But what about a long-range battle? Would a Jed-Eye not use something that could... go further distances?" He fingered his own trusty bow. "What if you see an Orc a stone's throw away, and it is charging at an innocent bystander? Would you ... throw your light saver at it?"  
  
Anakin blinked at him.  
  
"Well... Uhm... I was... Yeah, uhm... not trained for that sort of thing... yet. I'll... ask Obi-Wan, when I get ... back..."  
  
Legolas cocked an eyebrow at him.  
  
"'Obi-Wan'?" he asked. "Who is he?"  
  
"Another Jedi. I thought I already..."  
  
"There's more than one Jed-Eye???"  
  
"Yeah. There is a whole Jedi Order. There used to be a whole lot, now there's only a couple hundred. A council of the most powerful Jedis from all over the galaxy governs us... Though there is not a 'real' leader, there's this one dude, Master Yoda, who's the most powerful of the powerful of the yadayadayada. hey! Ha! Yoda, yada! Yoda, yada... ahem. Anyway. He's ancient too. He's more than 900 years old... I think. He-"  
  
Legolas interrupted with a snicker.  
  
"He became head of a council at the mere age of 900?"  
  
Anakin was flabbergasted.  
  
"Don't... you think that 900 years old is ... a long time to... live?"  
  
Legolas shook his head.  
  
"At 900 years of age, an elf might just be old enough to join my adar's patrols. If he is exceptionally strong."  
  
"What???" Anakin's eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Really???" Legolas nodded again. "Wow! How old are YOU?"  
  
Legolas crossed his arms, giving the Jed-Eye a stern look.  
  
"Do Jed-Eyes not have any manners? T'ain't polite to ask someone his age."  
  
"Aww... c'mon! Tell me!"  
  
Legolas narrowed his eyes, but smirked.  
  
"I am old enough to take your 'Master Yoda' over my knee and send him to bed without supper."  
  
Anakin nearly burst out laughing at the visual. Oh sheesh, he could just hear it... 'Put me down you will! Psychopath you are!'  
  
"That is amusing to you?" Legolas asked seriously.  
  
"Uhm... no. Yes. No. I..."  
  
"Anyway. Where does this... Jed-Eye council meet?" the elf asked, thinking of the White Council, and wondering whether they knew about the Jed-Eye one. Perhaps it was better if they knew that there could possibly be a whole band of these crazy beings running about, using magic swords and trespassing into Elven realms.  
  
Anakin winced. He probably shouldn't say anything about space travel anymore. Legolas would probably flip. Besides... he was being quite reasonable at the moment.  
  
"Oh, Coruscant." He said blankly.  
  
"Coruscant... that is... where?"  
  
"Oh, just... somewhere... north."  
  
The Elven prince rolled his eyes. To Anakin's relief, Legolas looked behind the Jed-Eye's shoulder. The elf saw something.  
  
"Get off the road," Legolas said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Get off the road! Quick!" He took hold of the Jed-Eye's arm and pulled him into the foliage at the side of the path. *  
  
The boy tripped over a root, and fell flat on his face, and Legolas peered out at the path from a hiding place behind a tree. Presently the sound of voices and mumbling came from up the path, and then the glow of red torches lit up the surrounding area. Then, Legolas saw about twenty elves walking down the path, humming and whistling, leading, surprisingly, about eleven dwarves with blindfolds and ropes. The Elven prince paused to watch the strange sight. The dwarves were groaning and complaining loudly, and the elves who led them were quite annoyed with them. Now, if Legolas was surprised to see such a thing, he didn't show it, and stepped out of the forest as the odd company passed by. Since he was an elf, the other elves barely noticed him as he walked through their ranks to the leader, other than commenting on him with "Hello Legolas" or nodding and saying "Prince". Legolas tapped on the leader's shoulder.  
  
"Hello Reggon! What have you here?"  
  
The other elf was somewhat startled, and turned around to look at Legolas. His eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Prince Legolas!" he cried. "What are you doing here?"  
  
He stopped, and signaled the rest to do the same. Legolas grinned.  
  
"I asked first," he said.  
  
The elf, named Reggon by Legolas, glanced at his charge of ten or eleven dwarves. They were all huddled up close to each other, and they were so small that it was hard for uninterested elves to count them. They all looked the same, anyway, with big beards and wide girth.  
  
"Well, these are a group of elves that your Adar has been jumping up and down trying to find. Three times they tried to attack us during the summer feasts! Thranduil is quite upset with them."  
  
Legolas winced, and nodded.  
  
"I can imagine."  
  
"SPEAKING of summer feasts, Prince," Reggon said with a smirk. "You too are not in his favour. He will have a word or two with you when you return. You went hunting... AGAIN... during the feasts? You are a prince, Legolas. You have to act like it. Make appearances. Make..."  
  
"'My Adar proud'?" Legolas finished, rolling his eyes. "I am a Prince. And whether anyone else thinks so or not, I do not care. What is the fun of feasts, anyway? You eat! You drink! You sing! And then you leave. You can do the same thing at home, without getting dressed up and wasting more time than necessary."  
  
"Very well, Legolas," snorted the other elf. "I will leave Thranduil to lecture you. Now, what are you doing back so soon? You only left a few days ago, and I see no game with you."  
  
"Oh," Legolas turned back to where his charge was hiding... badly... behind the trees a little way back. "Alright, Jed-Eye! You can come out now! I found a trespasser too. Hey, I wonder why there are so many that choose to come into my Adar's land so without permission? I mean, this is no Lothlorien. And nearly everyone who steps in here gets lost... why don't they just stick to their own lands?"  
  
Anakin walked towards his strange elf-dude companion, but as he walked towards them he bumped into something and nearly tripped. He heard a muffled "Ooch!", and turned to see who it was that he had hit, but he saw naught but thin air. So he shrugged and walked past the other glaring elves to stand next to Legolas. The other elf was much different than the prince. He had dark hair and dark eyes, and looked over Anakin with a frown.  
  
"What was his excuse?" Reggon asked.  
  
"Uhm," Legolas realized that he had never asked Anakin how he had gotten into Mirkwood in the first place. "He got lost. Hey, can we walk with you guys back to Adar's?"  
  
Reggon shrugged. "Sure."  
  
So they walked towards the halls of Thranduil... and Anakin was still not sure what would happen to him once he got there. He remembered how he had originally thought Legolas was a cannibal... could it really be true? Would he ever get back to Coruscant again? COULD LEGOLAS REALLY TAKE ON YODA? Uhm... he would have to wait and find out, he supposed.  
*Apologies. I couldn't resist but to use that bit from the movie. It popped into my head. Hey, you must know how hard it is to get rid of those plot bunnies once they stick their teeth into your flesh! 


	5. Elven Kings and Grudges

"What is he going to do to me?"  
  
"Nothing, Jed-eye," hissed Legolas, grabbing onto Anakin's arm and drawing him away from the rest of the elves.  
  
They were very near Thranduil's halls. Anakin had been quiet most of the way, but he had been a little nervous. Now he was bugging Legolas, and making the elf prince on edge as well.  
  
"Then why do I have to see him at all?" pleaded the Jedi.  
  
"Because it is the law," Legolas said. "You were trespassing. Yes, even though you got lost, you were still in Mirkwood without my Adar's permission. He would probably ask you a few questions, tell you off, and perhaps lock you in prison for a day or so, and then you'll be free to go. He's a good king. Sure, not much of an Adar, yet he is used to trespassers. It won't be too bad."  
  
"But... but... but I didn't get lost!!! I-"  
  
"No. You... got... lost. That is what you are going to tell Adar. That is what you are going to tell everyone who asks you. Understand?"  
  
Anakin blinked. Legolas gave him a hard look. If Thranduil heard Anakin say that he was from Coruscant and belonged to a secret cult of Jed-Eyes he would probably be much more harsher with the boy than giving him a day or so in his dungeons.  
  
"Well... all right," said Anakin. "But I really would rather not spend a day in a prison. Do you think there's any way that I could just be let go?"  
  
"No," Legolas said.  
  
"I think there might be a way," Anakin said, more persistently.  
  
"No, there isn't."  
  
"I..."  
  
"No." Legolas was getting annoyed. "You may ask Thranduil to spare you, but I assure you, you will not get a better answer."  
  
Anakin scowled. So mind tricks didn't work on elves. Maybe Legolas was just exceptionally strong-minded.  
  
They walked in silence for a while. Except, the dwarves still groaned and moaned and complained under their breath as they were led along, and Anakin could swear he still heard the sound of someone following him. He himself was walking in the back, and Legolas was next to him. Yet whenever the Jedi turned, he saw nobody. It was giving him the creeps. Eventually they came to a bridge that had been built over a swiftly flowing river. Anakin walked dismally over it, feet scuffing dejectedly at the stone, Legolas sometimes prodding him from behind with his hand when he went too slowly.  
  
~*~  
  
Reggon brought his group of prisoners to Thranduil first. Anakin and Legolas had to wait at the back of the room as the dwarves were herded towards the king Thranduil, who was sitting in a throne-like chair in the middle of the room and was glaring at a dwarf, who had stood up among the others and was explaining the reason of their 'trespassing'. Reggon and Legolas muttered angrily to each other about another dwarf that had been brought in not long ago. Anakin watched the dwarves in interest. They seemed remarkably bold for ones of their age and stature. And bitter. He guessed that the two races, elves and dwarves, must have some kind of grudge against each other, judging by their tones, body language, and their harsh words to each other.  
  
"Er... do elves really keep spiders as pets?" Anakin was curious after hearing the words of the dwarves and seeing the general revulsion in the king's eyes.  
  
The look that Legolas gave Anakin could have shattered glass. Oh, if looks could kill...  
  
"Nay! And you better keep your mouth shut before it is shut for you in the permanent silence of death!" the prince spat. "Such words will bring the wrath of Thranduil upon your overly-large head. As I expect will happen to these insolent dwarves."  
  
Indeed, Thranduil seemed wroth. He sat up in his throne and promptly dismissed them to be locked into his dungeons until they saw fit to tell him why they trespassed to begin with. Then Reggon bid goodbye to Legolas and with his Elven men started to push the loudly complaining dwarves away. Anakin frowned and shifted nervously. What was the bloody problem??? Why couldn't the dwarves say "sorry" and just... go on their merry way, and the elf-king shrug and say "that's ok. Just don't do it again."  
  
"Now, Jedi," hissed Legolas in his ear, as they got ready to face the king. "Say nothing at all. Nothing, until the king speaks to you expressly, and even then... lie."  
  
He was about to remark upon the fact that it wasn't in his nature to lie to his elders, but then the Jedi shook his head. He remembered his original thought of the elves being cannibals. He shuddered. Maybe he planned to eat the dwarves. Roast them all together in one big bonfire, and ... no! That was just wrong. Nonetheless Anakin was not quite comfortable with standing in front of that angry elf king, so Legolas had to poke him in the back until he was quite close enough. Thranduil pierced him with an icy glare.  
  
"Legolas, why do you bring a human to my throne?" he asked abruptly.  
  
"Well..." Legolas frowned. He seemed to be fighting some inner battle. "Er... Well..."  
  
"Spit it out, boy!" Thranduil cried, turning to his son in irritation.  
  
Legolas looked just like his father. Except that Thranduil was quite terrifying when he was angry.  
  
"Well, I found him," Legolas said slowly. "And..."  
  
"Was he trespassing?" The Elven king asked flatly.  
  
Anakin exchanged a nervous glance with Legolas. Was Legolas going to condemn him to death by cannibalism? The elf prince fidgeted.  
  
"Uhm... yes." And he added quickly. "But he-"  
  
"No buts!" snapped the king. "If you were trespassing, man, then you are to go into the dungeons too. With a dwarf."  
  
"But ada!" cried Legolas, appearing startled and befuddled. "His case does not warrant..."  
  
"I do not care what it warrants or does not! I am king and I say that he is to be put in a cell."  
  
Anakin was paralyzed with shock. Legolas bit his lip.  
  
"But he has done nothing to -"  
  
"I do not care," the elf replied irritably. "He is to stay in the cell until it pleases me to let him go. I am tired of everybody trespassing on my land. If you are to be king someday, Legolas, than you should be too. Not another word! Lock him up or I shall get one of the other guards to do so."  
  
"Very well," Legolas mumbled, and, taking hold of the now-animated and very angry Jedi's arm, started to drag him after the dwarves.  
  
"I am not going to be locked in a bloody cell!" Anakin snapped once they were walking down a long, dark, winding passage, and out of earshot from the agitated Elven king. "Let me go!"  
  
"Sorry," Legolas said, but he tightened his grip on his arm as he attempted to wrench it free. "But I have no say in the matter, at least when ada's in such a mood. Hi, calm down, or I'll have to bind you. Would you like that?"  
  
Anakin stilled, but he glared at the elf all the same.  
  
"'Tis not fair!" he whined. "I did not even know that I was trespassing!"  
  
"I know," Legolas looked annoyed. "Yet Thranduil does not. Do not worry, 'tis not so bad, besides the fact that you are to have a dwarf for company," he winced at the mere thought. "I will make sure you are fed properly though, and perhaps I can annoy the king until he decides that you're too much of a hassle to keep around anyway. Or I could bribe Galion..." he paused, musing. "But then you'd be an outlaw and serve a heavier sentence if you are escaped and found."  
  
"Hmph. How long do you think I have to stay down here? 'Tis dark and damp and cold. I don't like it."  
  
"Neither do I. But I am an elf, and you are a man, so you should cope better. Like I said, I will bother the king. Maybe... in a week or so he'll let you go."  
  
"What! A week!???! I cannot stay so long! I'll die!"  
  
"You will not. If you're quiet and good perhaps you'll get out quicker. And you can spend the time picking out a valid excuse for you being in Mirkwood in the first place."  
  
"But I already told you how I came here! My ship -"  
  
"Ack! Stop! No, this is how you came here: You are a son of a woodman, and you got lost while you were hunting. THERE! No more words. That is it. As prince of Mirkwood, that is what you will say or you can rot in the dungeons for all of eternity for all I care!"  
  
Anakin was in an icy silence as he was led through the receding passage. Eventually they reached a wall, where the passage branched off in two opposite directions. Legolas paced to the right, and the Jedi realized that there were doors on both sides. He shuddered. Cells. Eventually there appeared to be a glow of torchlight some way ahead. Besides for that one glow Anakin could see nothing, it was so dark, but Legolas seemed to not notice at all. Another elf it was that held the torch, and they met soon. Anakin glared at the strange elf. He was tall, and looked like Reggon, with dark hair and gray eyes. He had a ring of keys at his belt, and a knife, and looked at Anakin blankly.  
  
"New prisoner?" he asked.  
  
Legolas nodded.  
  
"Ada says he is to be put into a cell with one of the dwarves, Galion."  
  
The elf shuddered.  
  
"A sad day for you!" he said mockingly, and abruptly turned and paced down the opposite directly. Legolas and Anakin followed. "They are bellowing and moaning and complaining like a herd of Oliphants! Tis disgraceful the way the Naugrim* behave. They do not even have the decency to serve out their time with pride. Very well, here we are."  
  
Galion stopped beside a closed, thick oaken door to take the ring of keys off of his belt, and shifted through them. Anakin glanced at Legolas. The elf prince was biting his lip, and looking at Anakin with pity. They would not exactly call each other friends, but Anakin would rather stay with Legolas than in some lightless hole. Apparently Galion found the key, and opened the door. Immediately a dwarf gave a squeak and attempted to run out the door, but with a well-placed foot the elf tripped him. He took the sprawling creature and pushed him back inside before turning to Anakin.  
  
"In you go!" Galion said.  
  
The Jedi shuddered, and walked into the cell dismally. Legolas gave him an apologetic smile before the door was shut with a loud thud, and Anakin was locked in a cell with a miserable sniveling dwarf. He gulped. 


	6. Boredom and Wine

A/N: Hello, sorry for the lack of updating. My life is quite busy and hectic and my story isn't so high on my list of priorities as much as it used to be... Yet I suppose I shouldn't just drop it, though I am not sure what to do with the plotline yet. Er, any ideas would be highly appreciated. Hehe. Ok, here's da story:  
  
He was exceedingly bored. It was not exactly fun to sit in a dark cell with a fat dwarf with a bad attitude as a companion. The dwarf was mostly in a stony silence, not at all paying attention to Anakin's polite inquiries upon his health and name. He would glare and pretend he did not see him, though this was far beyond the Jedi's understanding. When he did break his silence he would gripe constantly about the elves, and how every single one of them should be tied up and gagged in a place called "Mordor" where this dude called "Sauron" could teach them some manners. Not exactly knowing whom Sauron or what Mordor was, he refrained from commenting, instead nodding and pretending that he agreed with every word the dwarf said. This seemed to please him and egg him on even more, furtherly telling Anakin that every single one of his dwarven companions had no intention to bother the bloody elves. And then he began telling the Jedi of an extremely outlandish story of a battle with giant talking spiders and an invisible... thing. The dwarf called it a hobbit, though the Jedi had no idea what a hobbit was in the first place. Anakin soon fell asleep.  
  
So his time was spent with the bitter dwarf that soon named himself as Dwalin. Anakin quickly grew very weary of his constant whining. The morning after he was locked up Galion came, and he had bread and meat and water for he and the dwarf's breakfast.  
  
"Lemme out lemme out!" Dwalin whined as he tried to run out the door again, and Galion kicked him easily back inside.  
  
"Hold there, little father!" he laughed. "You can come out any time you wish."  
  
"I wish to come out now!"  
  
"Then tell Thranduil why you were in the forest, why you attacked our folk, and then where you were going. And you shall be allowed to go free whenever you like."  
  
Dwalin grumbled and sat back down on the floor, taking his food without word of thanks. Anakin didn't take his. He would be darned if he accepted food from someone who stuck him in a prison without word of apology. Ai, once he got out of here and got back to his ship... maybe he could fix the communications and ask Obi Wan to come get him.  
  
"Where's Legolas? I want to get out of here!" he saw the look on Galion's face, and gulped, and tried to adopt a more professional tone. "You see, there has been a mistake. I was not trespassing at all, but I merely got lost..."  
  
Galion gave him an exasperated look.  
  
"You have stayed with the dwarf too long. I say to you as well: Unless Thranduil changes his mind for some unexplainable reason, you shall stay in the dungeons until further notice."  
  
For another two days poor Anakin was stuck in the prison. He was bored beyond belief and increasingly getting agitated, and though he was fed quite well he was unwilling to spend another second in the company of Dwalin. He had taken to using his force to influence him into silence, though then the dwarf would sit there grinning stupidly at him and annoy him to the bone. He wondered where Legolas was. That bloody elf better get him out of prison right and quick or he's gonna have to break out of the cell himself!  
  
He was lucky, because on the third day after he was imprisoned Galion appeared at the door again.  
  
"Don't even bother," he said idly to the dwarf who got up and made ready to launch himself at the door, and he looked at Anakin, who was sulking in the corner. "Come with me, boy, the king wishes to see you."  
  
"Is he going to let me go?" a spark of hope lit in the Jedi's eyes.  
  
Galion shrugged.  
  
"He did not tell me. Now you better get out here or I might change my mind and inform his majesty that you are too ill to carry out his wishes..."  
  
Within two seconds Anakin was out of that dark cell, and he complained loudly when his hands were tied behind his back with leather thongs. But Galion pretty much ignored him as he led him back to Thranduil's throne room. The Elven king was still sitting in his throne, but this time Legolas was standing next to him, and was talking to his father quite animatedly. And he kept on refilling a glass in the elf king's hand.  
  
"Er... my lord?" Galion gained the king's attention once he and Anakin had been standing - unnoticed - before him for about ten minutes.  
  
Suddenly the king turned to them, and he was grinning broadly.  
  
"Why, hello there, Galion my friend!" he laughed. "And you, Legolas' friend person... what are you doing here?"  
  
"Er... you called me here... sir..." Anakin answered, and he glared at Legolas, who pretended not to see him.  
  
"Oh yes!" he said, and he took a rather big gulp of his drink. Anakin guessed it was wine, and he probably had a lot of it already. "Well, you have been punished enough I suppose. Legolas here tells me that... that..." he creased his brow, as if trying to remember what he had been told, and then he shrugged. "Anyway, you are free to go if you wish. You can stay here 'till the feast if you would like... it is going to be held in a couple of weeks."  
  
Anakin blinked twice.  
  
"Er... thank you," he said, and then he fidgeted. "But I would really rather not -"  
  
"Superb idea, ada," Legolas broke in loudly, and patted his overly drunken father on the back. "I could not have thought of a better idea myself."  
  
Thranduil nodded proudly and finished the last of his wine.  
  
"Yes. Now go play with your friend, Legolas. I'm sure you two can find something interesting to do about here." 


End file.
